Business & Real Estate

It's been a long time coming for local Panera Bread fans clamoring for their fix of fresh baked treats, soups, salads and sandwiches.​ They won’t have to wait much longer to get their mitts on fresh croissants, warm chocolate chip cookies and crusty loaves of artisan bread. The national bakery-cafe chain announced a June 13opening for its Eustis location on U.S. 441 across from Target at the traffic light.

The 4,783 square-foot cafe will have approximately 90 employees and offer a big selection of fresh breads, pastries, sandwiches, soups, and salads. Libations include crafted coffees, an assortment of teas, and frozen beverages. The location will also feature a convenient drive-thru.

The Eustis Panera Bread is owned by Covelli Family Limited Partnership, part of Covelli Enterprises headquartered in Warren, Ohio. The company is the largest Panera Bread franchisee with over 200 locations.

The company’s journey began in 1987 as Au Bon Pain, a bakery-cafe. In 1993, the company purchased a chain of bakery-cafes in greater St. Louis and later renamed those locations “Panera Bread.” In 1999, the Au Bon Pain locations were sold so the company could focus on the success of Panera Bread. Today, there are over 2,000 Panera Bread locations nationwide. ​​